Generosity-Wisdom Protecting Kin, Merits Benefiting Sentient Beings (Part 3/3)

 

Sutra of the Collection of the Six Perfections, Fascicle 3

Generosity is the first of the six pāramitās (perfections). If it is not cultivated, then the subsequent practices of observing the precepts, forbearance, diligent effort, meditative concentration, and prajñā cannot be realized. This is because the five other perfections are fundamentally based on generosity. For instance, if generosity cannot be perfected, neither can the observance of the precepts be perfected. Why is this so? When generosity is fully practiced, a mind of relinquishment arises, and one no longer desires to covet anything from sentient beings. Only then can the precepts be upheld well and the causes and conditions for observing them mature. Similarly, if generosity cannot be perfected, anger cannot be relinquished, and the mind will often harbor anger. Only by getting rid of anger can one bring forth the forbearance of loving-kindness and compassion, enabling the precepts to be upheld properly. The same is true for ignorance: If one cannot relinquish it and fully understand the law of cause and effect related to it, one will not delight in generosity. Thus, if one has not eliminated ignorance, one cannot purely observe the precepts.

Generosity is the foundation of observing the precepts, and observing the precepts is the foundation of forbearance. Each perfection encompasses the others, and the six perfections interpenetrate. Therefore, generosity is paramount for attaining Buddhahood, and there is no bodhisattva who does not delight in virtuous giving. Generosity must be cultivated until the stage of Virtual Enlightenment, and it requires a full one hundred kalpas dedicated to the practice of giving away one’s inner and outer wealth, achieving complete fulfillment before one can attain Buddhahood.

The Buddha is The Most Honorable One with Two Fulfillments, embodying both the adornment of meritorious quality and the adornment of wisdom. Only when one has fully accomplished and perfected both of these can one attain Buddhahood. Thus, bodhisattvas diligently cultivate meritorious blessings, and even after attaining Buddhahood, they continue to delight in doing so. For instance, one day, the venerable Anuruddha tore his robe and wished to mend it, but he could not see because he was blind, and there was no one nearby who could assist him. Thus, he called out, “Which arhat wishes to cultivate blessings? Come and help me thread a needle!” The Buddha, hearing this from afar with his divine ear, responded, “I will help you thread the needle!” Upon hearing the Buddha’s voice, the venerable Aniruddha was puzzled and asked, “Buddha, do you still need to cultivate blessings?” The Buddha replied, “Is there such a thing as cultivating too many blessings?” From this, it is evident that the Buddha delights in cultivating blessings. How much more should we? (Part 3) The End

#Buddha #bodhisattva #pāramitās #Buddhahood #geneorsity #prajñā

Generosity-Wisdom Protecting Kin, Merits Benefiting Sentient Beings (Part2/3)

Sutra of the Collection of the Six Perfections, Fascicle 3 

One day, it was the turn of a doe about to give birth to go to the palace. It told the deer king, “I dare not evade my call to death, but I only plead that you allow me to give birth to my fawn. Let the next deer go in my place first!” The deer next in line heard this and hurriedly bowed its head to the ground, saying with tears of sorrow, “I will certainly go to my death! But I still have one whole day of life left. Although it is only one whole day, if I go to my death when it is truly my turn, then I will harbor no resentment in my heart.”

The deer king, unable to bear the thought of the next deer dying a day earlier, decided to act. Early the next morning, avoiding the herd, it went alone to the superintendent of the Royal Kitchen. The cook recognized that it was the deer king and immediately went to report the matter to the king. The king asked the deer king why it had presented itself to the superintendent of the Royal Kitchen. The deer king recounted everything that had happened. Upon hearing this, the king shed tears of sorrow and exclaimed, “How can this be? Even animals can embody the boundless benevolence of heaven and earth, willing to sacrifice their own lives to save other sentient beings, practicing the vast loving-kindness and compassion of the ancients and embodying virtues that align with the will of heaven! Although I am a ruler of men, I slaughter the lives of sentient beings every day merely to nourish and enrich my own body. My cruelty and ferocity are no better than those of a jackal or wolf!”

Thus, the king sent the deer king back to its original habitat and issued the following commandment to all the people in the kingdom: “From now on, anyone who infringes upon the deer shall be treated as if they have infringed upon the people and shall face the consequences of the law.” From that time onward, the king and his civil and military officials adhered to this teaching, and the people cultivated benevolent hearts, ceasing to take another life. The blessings extended even to the grass and trees, and the nation flourished in peace and prosperity.

    The deer king at that time was none other than Buddha Śākyamuni, and the king was the venerable Śāriputra. The Buddha’s teachings state that bodhisattvas, who are in the process of attaining Buddhahood, must extend loving-kindness to all sentient beings, engaging in immeasurable and boundless acts of generosity. In other words, bodhisattvas must selflessly rescue and protect sentient beings life after life to develop the meritorious quality of generosity and accumulate merits, which are essential for achieving the Path to Buddhahood. (Part 2/3) 

#BuddhaShakyamuni #BuddhistStories #Karma #Bodhisattva #BuddhistWisdom #Selflessness #BuddhistTeachings #BuddhismDaily #SpiritualGrowth 

Generosity-Wisdom Protecting Kin, Merits Benefiting Sentient Beings (Part 1/3)

 

Sutra of the Collection of the Six Perfections, Fascicle 3

Once upon a time, a bodhisattva manifested as a deer king. Its physique was exceptionally large, its fur had five magnificent colors, and its hooves and antlers were uniquely elegant. Many deer submitted to its leadership, forming a herd of several thousand.

One day, the king of the land ventured out from his palace to hunt. The hunting party scattered the deer herd, causing them to leap down steep cliffs. Some fell into deep pits, some were left dangling from tree branches, swaying helplessly, and many were pierced by thorns, suffering grievous injuries or dying. The deer king was overcome with sorrow at the tragic sight. Choking back tears, it said, “As the leader of this herd, I should have carefully considered and chosen a safe haven for us all. Yet, I carelessly brought everyone here for the sake of lush grasslands, causing the decline and devastation of our entire clan. This is my fault!” Determined to rectify the situation, the deer king resolved to personally seek an audience with the king to make him aware of the harm inflicted upon the deer by his hunting expeditions.

The deer king went directly to the capital city. When the people saw the divine deer, they all exclaimed, “Because our king possesses the most supreme benevolence and virtue, a divine deer has come here to roam. This is an auspicious omen for the nation, worthy of celebration!” Thus, no one dared to obstruct the deer king’s way. Upon reaching the royal palace, the deer king kneeled before the great hall and beseeched the king, “We, a humble group of animals, seek only to survive and have entrusted our lives to the land of your noble kingdom. Suddenly, we were beset by hunters, scattering us in all directions. Some of us have lost kin; others lie wounded or dead. Our plight is truly pitiable! The heavens cherish life with a compassionate heart and abhor extermination. I implore Your Majesty! Please cease hunting. We are willing to arrange specific days to come to your royal palace to be at the disposal of the superintendent of the Royal Kitchen.”

The deer king then said, “We wish to know the quantity of deer meat Your Majesty requires daily; we would never dare to deceive Your Majesty!” The king, upon hearing this, said with great surprise, “The superintendent of the Royal Kitchen requires no more than one deer’s meat each day. I never imagined it would cause such immense casualties among you! If what you say is true, I swear: From this day forward, I shall hunt no more!”

After returning to the grassland, the deer king gathered the herd and explained to them in detail what it and the king had agreed upon. All the deer obeyed the deer king’s instructions, voluntarily arranging the order in which they would enter the palace. Before entering the palace to face death, each deer would bid farewell to the deer king. The deer king, shedding tears of sorrow, would tell the deer, “All beings will face death; no one can avoid it. On your way to the palace, be mindful of the Buddha’s benevolent and kind teachings. Face the human king with a heart of loving kindness and harbor no resentment toward him!” Thus, the herd lived each day under a cloud of grief and despair. (Part 1/3)

#DeerKing #JatakaTales #BuddhistStories #SixPerfections #Bodhisattva #Compassion #LovingKindness #BuddhistWisdom #PastLifeStories #DharmaTeaching #BuddhistSutra #AncientWisdom#Buddha#Dharma

The Connection Between the Arising of Thoughts and the Fruition of Causes and Conditions (Part3/3)

 

The Dhammapada with Parables, Fascicle 1

We often hear virtuous knowledgeable mentors teach: “Do not neglect a wholesome deed because it seems small, or commit an unwholesome deed because it seems minor.” The aforementioned anecdote tells of two merchants. One of them, merely by giving rise to a small wholesome thought, consequently brought forth the wholesome karmic fruition of becoming a king in that very lifetime. However, the other, by giving rise to a small unwholesome thought, instead brought forth the karmic retribution of an untimely death in that very lifetime.

The key reason for the foregoing lies in the differing objects of wholesome and unwholesome thoughts. The object in the aforementioned anecdote is the Buddha—the Supreme One among humans and celestial beings throughout the three realms, and the most perfectly adorned field of merits and gratitude. One who plants seeds of merit upon this perfectly adorned Buddha through the arising of even a single small wholesome thought about him can become the wealthiest and most honored king in the world. Conversely, one who harbors a small unwholesome thought, such as arrogance, about the Buddha will earn an exceedingly unpleasant karmic retribution, drawing forth severe retribution in hell.

Sentient beings’ karmic deeds have intrinsic differences in severity. If the three actions of body, speech, and mind are fully present, and if all three essential conditions discussed in the precepts—the fundamental intention, accomplished deeds, and expedient means—are fully met, then the precept violations and inherently wrongful acts committed will all lead to the most severe retribution.

In the aforementioned anecdote, even though the merchant who harbored unwholesome thoughts merely committed a transgression of mental karma, he had already incurred severe retribution. This clearly demonstrates that the object of one’s action will cause a significant difference in the resulting retribution. In the current Dharma-ending age, there are still great bodhisattvas and great virtuous knowledgeable mentors who, to perpetuate the longevity of the correct Dharma of the Tathāgata, willingly take rebirth in the human world of Sahā in each lifetime. This ensures that the Buddha’s true Dharma can be transmitted among humans, widely benefiting sentient beings with a meaningful affinity.

Taking the aforementioned anecdote of the Buddha as a lesson, Buddhist disciples should understand that they should refrain from entertaining even subtle thoughts of contempt or slander. If the object of slander is a worthy sage or a great bodhisattva, then even a transgression consisting solely of such a thought will incur extremely severe karmic retribution. Therefore, all who practice the Dharma must be extremely careful and skillfully guard their own minds! (Part 3/3)

 #Buddha #bodhisttva #Tathagataga #Dharma #Buddhism #saha #dharmaendingage #karma #retribution #virtuous #mentor #longevity #knowledgeable #wholesome #unwholesome 

The Connection Between the Arising of Thoughts and the Fruition of Causes and Conditions (Part2/3)

The Dhammapada with Parables, Fascicle 1

The merchant whose mind had given rise to wholesome thoughts traveled to another kingdom. It so happened that the king of that land had just passed away, leaving behind a prophecy: “A humble person will one day arrive in our kingdom, and if he is the one destined to inherit the throne, my sacred horse will bow down and kneel before him.” Thus, the ministers took this divine horse out to search for the future king. Along the way, the royal civil servant encountered this merchant and remarked, “This person appears to possess the demeanor and bearing of a ruler.” Upon seeing the merchant, the divine horse kneeled down before him and licked his feet. The ministers, overjoyed, recognized the merchant as the king they had been seeking and invited him back to the palace to inherit the throne.

After the merchant with wholesome thoughts became king, he and his ministers turned to face the direction where the Buddha resided, bowed reverently from afar, and requested that the Buddha come to his kingdom to receive offerings. On the day of the offering, he asked the Buddha, “I originally possessed no great merits of blessing. Why was I able to attain this throne?”

The Buddha preached to the king, saying, “In the past, when King Pasenadi made offerings to the Three Jewels, the thought that arose in you was one of utmost sincerity—reverent rejoicing and praising. You generated a wholesome thought: ‘The Buddha is like a king, and the disciples are like subjects.’ Therefore, you planted the virtuous cause for becoming a king in the future, and thus ascended to the throne. However, your other companion gave rise to arrogance and brought forth unwholesome thoughts, such as ‘The Buddha is like an ox, and the disciples are like a cart.’ As a result, he sowed the seeds of malevolent thoughts, which led to the karmic retribution of being crushed to death by a cart in this very lifetime. After death, he must undergo another rebirth in the hell of fiery chariots to suffer further retribution there. All causes and conditions, along with their resulting fruition, are drawn forth by a person’s arising thoughts and intentions and are created by that person alone. Heavenly dragons, ghosts, and spirits cannot interfere with them and cannot bestow them as fruition.”

After hearing the aforementioned anecdote of the Buddha, some might wonder: Why does the mere arising of wholesome and unwholesome intentions lead to such a vast difference in the fruition of wholesome and unwholesome deeds? (Part 2/3)

#Buddha #karma #retribution #fruition #Dharma #Buddhism #Buddhiststory 

The Connection Between the Arising of Thoughts and the Fruition of Causes and Conditions (Part1/3)

The Dhammapada with Parables, Fascicle 1

Long ago, King Pasenadi of Sāvatthī came to the Buddha’s monastery, paid homage to the Buddha with utmost sincerity, and respectfully declared, “With the most genuine heart, I, your disciple, have arranged food offerings at the major crossroads throughout the kingdom, and I invite the Buddha and the whole monastic community to receive these offerings. I have done this so that the people of the kingdom will recognize the exalted nature of the Buddha, and to provide sentient beings with the opportunity to hear the Buddha expound the five precepts and uphold them. May they thus distance themselves from harmful influences and abandon all wrongdoing, and through their meritorious qualities, may national calamities and disasters be eradicated.”

The Buddha said, “What a king of wholesome faculties! You lead your people through the path of the Dharma, enabling them to receive abundant blessed retribution in their future lives!” The king personally prepared a vegetarian feast with the people and respectfully invited the Buddha and the assembly of monks to travel throughout the country to receive offerings. After the Buddha and the assembly of monks had finished receiving and partaking of the meal the king had prepared for them, the Buddha ascended his seat at the main crossroads to preach the Dharma to the king and the people.

Among the assembly were two merchants who were also listening to the Dharma. One of them felt a surge of joy and praise arise in his heart and thought, “Oh, Buddha! You are like an emperor, and your disciples are like loyal ministers. You expound the Buddha Dharma, and your disciples recite, practice, and proclaim it. Our king is truly wise because he recognizes the Buddha’s nobility and is willing to submit to him respectfully, even inviting him to receive offerings.”

Yet the other merchant, overcome by arrogance, gave rise to a single thought: “How foolish this king is! He already possesses such wealth and power, lacking nothing in worldly matters. Why, then, does he show such reverence and make offerings to the Buddha?” After making offerings to the Buddha, the two continued their journey.

The merchant who harbored wholesome thoughts developed a heart of rejoicing and praise toward the Buddha. As a result, he attracted the protection of the assemblies of the Four Great Heavenly Kings and the Dharma guardian deities of dragons and heavens. However, the merchant who harbored evil thoughts attracted malevolent spirits of the lowly paths, causing the wine he swallowed to blaze like flames within his gut. His mind thus clouded, he stumbled and fell outside the pavilion where he and the other merchant had been resting, and lay drunk in the middle of the road. The next day, a caravan of five hundred carts happened to pass by, and tragically, the merchant was crushed to death under their wheels. (Part 1/3)

One merchant lay dead in the road, crushed beneath five hundred carts. But what became of the other—the one whose heart had filled with joy and praise? A single kind thought was about to change his life beyond anything he could imagine…

#Buddha #karma #Dharma #retribution #transmigration 

The Sacred Chanting Bhikṣu Golden Bell (Part3/3)

 

The Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish, Fascicle 11

The True Meaning of a “Dharma Assembly”

Because of the adornment of concentration, the mind abides in a single object, adhering to the pure thought of mindfulness of the Buddha and thereby no longer giving rise to afflictions or pandering to delusional thoughts. One can then be single-minded, entering into contemplation through the scriptural passages during Dharma assemblies—a practice known as “contemplation in accordance with the text.” When one contemplates and reflects on the Buddhist doctrine within the scriptural passages and then comprehends and realizes the correct principles expounded in the scriptures, the wisdom of the Buddha Dharma begins to arise. This is the principle of the union of tranquility and insight and the realization of wisdom through concentration, which everyone has heard of.

When participating in repentance Dharma assemblies with a heart that retains the pure mindfulness of the Buddha, one is also able to repent with the utmost sincerity and deep earnestness, thereby eliminating transgressions and achieving the supreme meritorious qualities of the wholesome repentance practice. At the same time, during such assemblies, because the mind is pure and afflictive emotions no longer manifest, the precepts one upholds become purer and more dignified. Thus, participating in the sacred chanting during disaster-averting and repentance Dharma assemblies in accordance with the doctrines likewise brings about the benefits of the Buddha Dharma, enabling one to enhance one’s meritorious qualities in the three uncontaminated studies of “precepts, concentration, and wisdom.” Naturally, by relying on this “supporting Dharma” as a condition, one can further cultivate the causes and conditions for the actual realization of the “Dharma” and the Three-Vehicle Bodhi.

Therefore, for novice learners, participating in the chanting during Dharma assemblies in accordance with the Dharma still has supreme benefits. However, the true meaning of the term “Dharma assembly” is “an assembly where the Buddha Dharma is taught in accord with reality”—that is, a grand gathering in which a virtuous and knowledgeable mentor expounds the teachings of the Three-Vehicle Bodhi to the public. Thus, learners should ultimately seek a true, virtuous, knowledgeable mentor, abide by that mentor’s guidance, regularly listen to the Dharma, and participate in “Dharma-teaching assemblies,” cultivating extensive listening and Dharma-perfuming. This is what is truly meant by participating in the supreme “Dharma assemblies.” (Part 3 Ends)

#Chan #Dhamma #BuddhistTeachings #Cultivation #Zen #SpiritualPractice #Mindfulness #Wisdom #DharmaAssembly #MeditationInMotion #Contemplation #SpiritualGrowth

What is forbearance? (Part 2/2)

 

Excerpts from the Sutra of the Collection of the Six Perfections (六度集經, Liùdù Jí Jīng)     What is forbearance? It is acceptance. When one can accept, one can be forbearing and enduring. Why does the Chinese language use the character 辱 (rǔ─disgrace) in 忍辱 (rěn rǔ – forbearing disgrace) for forbearance? It is because disgrace is the most difficult thing for worldly beings to forbear. The so-called pāramitā of forbearance is to reach the other shore of liberation through forbearance. This is the third of the six perfections practiced by bodhisattvas.     In the Upāsaka-śīla Sūtra, Fascicle 7, the Buddha further taught: “If I cannot forbear minor matters, how can I guide sentient beings? Forbearance is the correct cause for attaining the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment—the fruit of this cultivation. If I do not plant the seeds of forbearance, how can I obtain such a true fruit?” If one cannot forbear trivial things pertaining to mundane matters, how can one be a bodhisattva, attain the true fruit of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in the future, guide and subdue sentient beings, and lead them toward the Buddha Dharma? Furthermore, as recorded in the Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp, Fascicle 3, the great master Bodhidharma said, “The unsurpassed, wondrous path of all Buddhas requires assiduous practice over vast kalpas, performing what is difficult to perform and forbearing what is difficult to forbear. How could one with minor merits and wisdom, as well as a frivolous and arrogant mind, hope to attain the true vehicle? Such an effort is merely futile toil.” This means that the unsurpassed wondrous Dharma-path of the Buddhas―performing what is difficult to perform and forbearing what is generally impossible for ordinary people to forbear―must be practiced with diligent effort over immeasurably long periods. How could one with minor merits and wisdom, as well as a frivolous and arrogant mind, hope to attain the truly great Dharma? This was the teaching that the great master Bodhidharma had given to the Second Patriarch, Huike, and it speaks to the steadfast determination one must possess in order to attain the truly great Dharma. #Buddha #paramita #bodhisattva #Buddhiststory #karma #compassion #forberance #dharma #Buddhistteaching  (Part 2/2)

Forbearance–Ingratitude (Part 1/2)

 

Excerpts from the Sutra of the Collection of the Six Perfections (六度集經, Liùdù Jí Jīng) Once upon a time, a bodhisattva manifested as a macaque. Not only was it exceptionally strong―stronger than all other macaques―but its intelligence and wisdom also exceeded that of humans. Moreover, it possessed loving-kindness and compassion, constantly wishing to universally save and assist sentient beings. The macaque lived deep in the mountains. One day, while climbing a tree to gather wild fruits, it saw a man who had fallen to the bottom of a valley. The man was crying out in sorrow: “Help me!” Hearing the man’s cries, the macaque shed tears of sadness, thinking, “Have I not made a vow to achieve the Path to Buddhahood precisely to save suffering sentient beings? If I do not rescue this man today, he will surely exhaust his strength and die. I must find a way to get down to the valley floor and carry him up.” The macaque descended into the valley, carried the man on its back, and then, grasping the weeds on the cliff face, slowly climbed upward. When it reached the top, it placed the man on flat ground, pointed out the exit path, and told him, “Return to your dwelling place, and do not commit evil deeds.” Having exerted all its strength to save the man from distress, the macaque was utterly exhausted and lay on the ground to rest. The man thought to himself, “When I was trapped in the valley, I almost starved to death. Now, if I don’t eat anything, I will starve to death. What is the difference between this and being trapped at the bottom of the valley?” Thus, an evil thought arose in his mind: “I should kill and eat this macaque to save my life. There’s nothing wrong with that!” So he picked up a stone and violently struck the macaque’s head. It was immediately bruised and bled profusely, staining the ground red with fresh blood. Startled by the sudden attack, the macaque stood up, but feeling dizzy and unable to stand steadily, it fell back against a large tree. Not a trace of anger arose in its heart; instead, it felt compassion for the man for harboring evil thoughts. The macaque thought, “This man is not one whom I can guide to liberation. I hope that in his future lives, he will frequently encounter various Buddhas, believe, accept, and adhere to their teachings, and thus be liberated, never again harboring evil thoughts throughout his countless lives as he has done in this present life.” The macaque in the story above was Buddha Śākyamuni on the causal ground, and the person trapped in the valley was Devadatta. The Buddha taught that the bodhisattva’s perfection (pāramitā) of forbearance is beyond comprehension, and this is how one ought to practice forbearance! (Part 1) Even as betrayal bled into the mountain soil, the Bodhisattva macaque responded to a lethal strike with unwavering compassion. This timeless encounter between Buddha Śākyamuni and Devadatta illuminates the profound practice of forbearance. #Buddha #paramita #bodhisattva #Buddhiststory #karma #compassion #forberance #dharma #Buddhistteaching

Floating Wood with a Hole

 

Floating Wood with a Hole

This Buddhist story primarily explains how difficult it is for sentient beings to be born as humans, and that being able to rely on the human body to encounter the Buddha-Dharma, which contains genuine liberating teachings, is even more extraordinarily difficult.

The following is an English excerpt of the Saṃyukta Āgama Sūtra, Fascicle 15:

At one time, the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus: “Suppose the entire vast land were a vast ocean, and there was a blind turtle whose lifespan lasted for immeasurable eons, yet it could rise to the ocean’s surface only once every hundred years. In this great ocean, there is a piece of floating wood with a single hole in it, drifting throughout the sea carried by the waves and blown by the wind, with no fixed location, moving east and west unpredictably. Could this blind turtle, which surfaces only once every hundred years, possibly encounter this piece of floating wood and poke its head through the hole in it?”

Ānanda respectfully replied to the Buddha, “It would be impossible, World-Honored One! If this blind turtle were to swim to the eastern part of the great ocean, the floating wood might be blown by the wind to the western, southern, or northern parts of the ocean. Thus, their paths may not cross.” The Buddha told Ānanda, “Although the blind turtle and the floating wood are vastly distant from each other and moving in opposite directions, making an encounter extremely difficult or unlikely, there’s a chance they would meet after a very long time. Yet foolish and benighted ordinary beings who transmigrate and drift without ceasing through the five destinies have hundreds of thousands of times less chances of temporarily obtaining a human form compared to the blind turtle’s chances of crossing paths with the floating wood! This is because these foolish and deluded sentient beings’ actions, speech, and minds have never relied upon righteousness and the correct Dharma. They do not practice wholesome dharmas or in accordance with the authentic principles of the worldly and the transcendent.

Therefore, they perpetually kill one another in cycles, or the strong oppress the weak. Because they constantly create boundless evil karma, they quickly fall into the three evil destinies, with little hope of escape, and being reborn as a human in the human realm will be a matter of many long eons hence, if at all.”

The Buddha added, “Therefore, bhikṣus, within the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths—suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path—you should all diligently and earnestly use various skillful means to generate a sense of superior intent, continuously studying the Four Noble Truths and other teachings, severing all fetters to ultimately reach the state of the fourth fruit and beyond!” When the Buddha finished teaching this sutra, the bhikṣus who heard what the Buddha taught all joyfully believed, accepted, and practiced it.

In the Buddhist story above, the blind turtle drifts and searches throughout the vast ocean. Isn’t the turtle like many ordinary people today, seeking the true principles and cultivation methods that genuinely lead to liberation and the path to Buddhahood? Aren’t those “wood-like objects” we gaze at from afar like the Buddhist temples and monasteries lining every street, which we assume to be places where we can find rescue and peace of mind, where we can eliminate afflictions and find salvation?  

However, one might unfortunately encounter fraudsters who use Buddhism as a cover for money and sex scams, preying on students who lack the ability to discern genuine teachers from fraudsters.

Or perhaps one frequently attends chanting ceremonies, mistakenly believing that this is true cultivation and can lead one toward achieving Buddhahood.

Or one might close their eyes, sit in a meditation posture, empty their minds, and imagine that this alone is the path to Buddhahood. However, this doesn’t even brush against the outer frame of the Buddhist gate! These people, who regard themselves as “practitioners” but who actually aren’t, may even commit the great transgression of false speech, which truly isn’t worth it.

It is extremely difficult for people who wish to study Buddhism on the correct path to be able to encounter someone who can teach them the correct views and methods. True Buddhist practice means following the stages of the Bodhi Path in the right sequence; you can’t skip steps or mix them up. In other words, truly encountering the “floating wood with a hole” mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures is indeed an extremely difficult and rare experience. It requires encountering a truly enlightened mentor who thoroughly comprehends the path of the Three-Vehicle Bodhi, understands its true principles, and can explain the content of the Buddha Bodhi Path and the sequential stages of cultivating it. Only then can we correctly hear, practice, and realize this path according to its content. If you have already encountered such a wholesome Dharma, you should treasure this opportunity because it is as rare as a blind turtle encountering a floating wood with a hole in the ocean. That is, you must firmly hold on to a Mahāyāna practice center where there is a truly enlightened mentor―go there regularly and listen to, contemplate, and realize the true principles so as not to waste your current human form, which is so difficult and precious to obtain throughout countless lifetimes, and so as not to lose your excellent karmic condition!  

#Buddha #Dharma #Bodhipath #Mahayana #Threevehiclebodhi #Buddhahood #karma #fournobletruth #enlightenment

A Bodhisattva’s Skillful Means (P4/4)

 

As for the six consciousnesses of sentient beings—the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mental consciousnesses—they actually operate at the corresponding five internal sense faculties within the brain. The six sense objects (forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and mental phenomena), which are respectively discriminated by the six consciousnesses, are, in fact, merely the manifestations of the eighth vijñāna, the tathāgatagarbha, according to the differently perceived five external sense objects. The six knowing consciousnesses do not actually make direct contact with external objects.

King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva, through his wisdom of the ultimate truth pertaining to Mahāyāna Buddha Bodhi, had long since fully realized and verified these teachings of the Śrāvaka conventional truth that the World-Honored One had explicitly expounded on in the Lesser Vehicle. He recognized that what held the woman’s hand and sat together with her was merely the great earth element, not the perceptive conscious “self,” and thus, there was no transgression.

Therefore, the World-Honored One finally taught, “Ordinary sentient beings, due to their craving for the five worldly desires, commit various unwholesome karmas and consequently fall into the three evil destinies or even the hells, where they suffer severe karmic retribution. However, when bodhisattvas engage in the five worldly desires together with sentient beings to liberate them, employing various skillful means, their minds remain pure and free from desire. After death, they are instead reborn as pure beings in the form realm heavens. Why is there such a great difference? This is because Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas are able to practice skillful means.”

Having heard this story, everyone should now have a clearer understanding of the true meaning of bodhisattvas’ skillful means. (Part 4)

#Buddha #Dharma #bodhisattva #Buddhahood #Buddhiststory #precepts

A Bodhisattva’s Skillful Means (Part 3/4)

 

After contemplating in this way, King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva cognized his own body as nothing more than the great earth element, and keeping his mind on great earth element, he took the woman’s hand and sat beside her on a single seat. He then told the woman, “You should take refuge in the World-Honored One and generate an aspiration for Buddha Bodhi. The Dharma path of the World-Honored One does not praise the worldly practices of sexual desire and craving pursued by unwise and deluded ordinary beings. On the contrary, only by cultivating dispassion or detachment from desire and eliminating craving can one accomplish the Buddhahood Path and become the Great Venerable, whom all sentient beings in heaven and the human realm revere and study under.” At that moment, having heard the teaching of King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva, the woman’s heart became filled with immeasurable joy. She rose from her seat, and, with the sincerest reverence, prostrated before King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva and said, “I previously harbored thoughts of unwholesome desire and craving toward you. Now, I wish to confess and repent before you in person.” Thereupon, the woman generated the pure and wholesome aspiration for the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas and Tathāgatas, vowing to benefit all sentient beings so that they, too, could accomplish the Buddhahood Path. At this point, the World-Honored One emphasized, “A bodhisattva like King of the Honored Multitude, who is able to liberate and guide sentient beings through skillful means, ensures that the followers he liberates and guides—both in the past and present—will henceforth never regress from the Buddha Bodhi or fall into the three evil destinies.” Moreover, due to King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva’s wisdom and skillful means, the woman immediately confessed with utmost sincerity and made great vows, so that after ninety-nine kalpas, she would accomplish the Buddhahood Path.

In this story, King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva contemplated the following Dharma teaching: “The internal great earth element and the external great earth element are one great earth element.” This involves analyzing and deconstructing a sentient being’s physical body to clearly understand that the body is nothing but a composition of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. The five sense faculties—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body—that held the woman’s hand and sat together with her on the same seat are, in fact, the great earth element, no different from the great earth element of solid matter in mountains, rivers, and land of the external material world. There was no “self” that held the woman’s hand and sat with her. (Part 3/4)

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A Bodhisattva’s Skillful Means (Part2/4)

 

In part one of the story, King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva first displayed supernatural transformations, enabling the adept Venerable Ānanda to understand that he was a great bodhisattva who purely upheld the precepts, was free from sensual desire, and came to possess supernatural powers and transformative abilities through genuine practice and realization. Upon learning this, Ānanda immediately kneeled on the ground with a grief-stricken expression on his face and earnestly beseeched the World-Honored One to allow him to publicly confess his transgression of ignorantly accusing King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva of violating the precept against sexual misconduct.

The World-Honored One then told Ānanda, “One must not judge the actions of Mahāyāna bodhisattvas as violating the pure precepts based solely on superficial appearances! For after Mahāyāna bodhisattvas take refuge in the mind of all knowledge, when they encounter pleasing forms, sounds, scents, tastes, and tactile sensations or the five desirous states of wealth, sensuality, fame, food, and sleep, which delight the mind, they will partake in and utilize these objects together with sentient beings, and then seize the opportunity to exhort these beings to take refuge in the Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and to generate an unsurpassed aspiration for Buddha Bodhi. Such Mahāyāna bodhisattvas neither violate the precepts nor fail to liberate and guide sentient beings. Therefore, the World-Honored One said, “Only they can perfectly and fully accomplish the meritorious qualities and wisdom required to become Buddhas and Tathāgatas.”

The World-Honored One also explained the past karmic connection between King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva and the woman whom Venerable Ānanda saw him sitting with on the same seat. In the past, this woman had been the wife of King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva for five hundred lifetimes. Due to the habitual tendencies of marital emotional attachment from those past lives, when she saw King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva, craving for and attachment to him immediately arose in her mind. Especially upon seeing that he was a bodhisattva disciple under the World-Honored One who faithfully upheld the precepts and possessed a dignified demeanor and majestic virtue, she felt great joy in her heart and thought to herself, “If I could have the opportunity to sit together with King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva, I would also take refuge in the World-Honored One, generate an aspiration for the Bodhi mind of attaining unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, and become a Mahāyāna bodhisattva.”

King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva had already attained supernatural powers and transformations, so he naturally knew of his past-life karmic connection with the woman he was sitting with and understood her thoughts. He decided to liberate and guide her. The next morning, he took his alms bowl and entered the city, going from house to house to beg for food. When he arrived at this woman’s house, he entered. In his mind, he immediately contemplated a dharma principle: “Whether the internal great earth element within or the external great earth element, it is still the great earth element” (Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra, fascicle 106). That is, the solid parts of our body and the solid things in the external material world are actually composed of the same solid great element—the “great earth element.”  (Part 2/4)

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A Bodhisattva’s Skillful Means (Part 1/4)

 

“However innumerable sentient beings may be, I vow to save them all; however inexhaustible afflictions may be, I vow to eradicate them all; however immeasurable the teachings may be, I vow to study them all; and however difficult the unsurpassed Buddhahood Path may be, I vow to attain it.” These are the four vast and magnificent vows that bodhisattvas make when they first take refuge in the Three Jewels.

The first two vows express their determination to cultivate the bodhisattva path toward Buddhahood: They must vow to liberate all sentient beings and eliminate all afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion to attain purity and liberation. The process of hearing and being permeated by the bodhisattva precepts, cultivating and studying them, and finally upholding them in practice is a necessary and effective method for counteracting afflictions.

However, sentient beings possess vastly different capacities and faculties, and the conditions for their liberation vary greatly. How, then, can bodhisattvas liberate all sentient beings without exception while remaining faithful to the prohibitions established by the bodhisattva precepts they uphold? This touches on the spirit and principles underlying the bodhisattva precepts, and the matter of skillful means employed by bodhisattvas.

Skillful means, also called expedient methods, refer to the wholesome and ingenious or flexible and adaptive expedient methods one has the ability to employ when facing particular individuals or special circumstances, enabling the other party to accept the teaching or resolving difficult situations. Buddhist scriptures contain numerous accounts of Buddhas and bodhisattvas who skillfully devised expedient means according to the capacities and karmic conditions of sentient beings, thereby succeeding in guiding them onto the Buddhahood Path.

For example, the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra (Sutra of the Great Treasure Collection) records a story in which the Venerable Ānanda reported to Śākyamuni Buddha that when he was going on an alms round among the residents of Śrāvastī City, he saw King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva sitting with a woman on the same seat. This prompted him to report to the World-Honored One that King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva had violated the precept against sexual misconduct. However, this accusation proved unfounded.

The World-Honored One instead praised King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva, saying that he had already realized and taken refuge in the mind of all knowledge, attained the wisdom to face all circumstances without any obstruction, and possessed the ability to employ all kinds of skillful and expedient means to liberate and guide sentient beings. The World-Honored One further bestowed a prophecy upon the woman who had been sitting with King of the Honored Multitude Bodhisattva, declaring that in the coming ninety-nine kalpas, she would make offerings to hundreds of thousands of immeasurable and incalculable Buddhas of the ten directions, and would then fully accomplish all Buddha Dharmas and attain Buddhahood. (Part 1)

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Six Incredible Truths About Why You Suffer (Part 3/3)

 

Like the Raft, Even the Dharma Must Be Let Go Of (Part 3/3)

Differences Between Ordinary People from the Learned Noble Disciples 

The Buddha then clarified a misunderstanding and criticized some heterodox teachers, such as the ascetic Gotama, a nihilist who teaches that existing sentient beings will be annihilated and destroyed into nonexistence. The Buddha said, “This is not true. I never teach ‘annihilation’; rather, I teach people to clearly see the truth of suffering and eliminate suffering.”

The Buddha further said, “Whether people curse, slander, or honor me, my mind remains unmoved. Curses do not arouse anger in me; praise does not arouse joy in me. This is because I know that such people’s actions arise from a lack of understanding or from misunderstanding the Dharma.”

The Buddha admonished the bhikkhus: “You should be the same. Don’t become proud from praise or angry from slander.”

Finally, the Buddha taught: “Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—none of these belong to you. You should abandon them. Once you have done this, you will attain lasting peace and happiness.”

The Buddha gave an example: “If someone took away or burned the grass, trees, and branches in the Jeta Grove, would you think ‘they’ve stolen my things’?”

The bhikkhus answered, “No, World-Honored One, because we know that they are not us or ours.”

The Buddha said, “The five aggregates do not belong to you either. Only by abandoning them can you truly be free and self-existent.”

The Buddha summarized His teaching as follows: “The Dharma I expound on is clear, plain, and fully disclosed—its purpose is to cut off all the fetters of affliction that bind sentient beings.”

When the Buddha finished speaking, His words opened the bhikkhus’ minds to understanding. They joyfully embraced the teaching with faith and vowed to practice it accordingly.

________________________________________

Reflections:

    Imagine yourself driving to an unfamiliar city for the first time. The GPS is like the raft that the man in the story told by the Buddha relies on to cross the river. While navigating unfamiliar roads, you must listen intently to the voice prompts and strictly follow the suggested route to avoid getting lost or stuck in traffic and to arrive safely at your destination. This is like the early stages of cultivation—practicing according to the teaching. Only through honest, diligent effort and by following the Dharma step-by-step can you avoid straying onto the wrong paths.

    However, once your car has pulled into the garage, the GPS’s mission is complete. If, at this point, you are still staring at the screen, unwilling to get out of your car until the system tells you what to do next, or even refuse to put down the GPS device when entering the house, then what was originally a helpful tool has instead become a mental burden.

    Cultivation is the same. While skillfully using the raft to cross the river is certainly important, once you reach the shore, you should smile and let go of it, continuing your journey unencumbered. 

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To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part3/3)

 To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven

 (A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

Moreover, if one’s practice is not efficacious or if one easily resonates with ghosts and spirits, after taking the Triple Refuge, one will be protected by Dharma-protecting deities, which can reduce the obstacles to practice. In addition, Volume 64 of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states that those who take refuge in the Triple Gem can obtain vast merits or blessings, great joy, samādhi, and great purity, and that the heavenly beings will feel joy for those who have taken the Triple Refuge and will regard them as being like themselves. As the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha possess immeasurable meritorious qualities, one who takes refuge in them also possesses many meritorious qualities. As stated in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, those who have taken refuge in the Triple Gem are very much welcomed by heavenly beings. Like the elder’s daughter in the story, they could be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after their death.

However, we also want to remind everyone that the Triple Refuge has the function of precepts: “Taking refuge in the Buddha, I shall never take refuge in mara demons or non-Buddhist paths. Taking refuge in the Dharma, I shall never take refuge in the false teachings of non-Buddhist paths. Taking refuge in the Sangha, I shall never take refuge in the heterodox teachings of non-Buddhist paths.” Thus, we sometimes call it the Triple Refuge Precept, meaning that once you have taken refuge in the Triple Gem, you naturally can no longer take refuge in non-Buddhist paths or in various false teachings again. Furthermore, if one takes the Triple Refuge at a place that does not uphold the true Dharma, then not only can one not obtain the merit of the Triple Refuge, but one may also commit the offense of destroying the Buddha Dharma. Therefore, one must choose carefully and wisely and avoid taking refuge in places that do not uphold the correct Dharma.

Next, let’s briefly discuss the five precepts. Our current Buddhist rituals involve simultaneously taking the Triple Refuge and receiving and upholding the five precepts: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no consumption of alcohol. That is to say, after taking refuge in the Triple Gem, one should protect and maintain wholesome dharmas and not violate the five precepts according to one’s capacity and ability. Upholding and endorsing the five precepts is the root of all wholesome dharmas and the basic foundation for being a human in the world; even those who do not study Buddhism should uphold them. People who receive and uphold the five precepts will not fall into the three lowly paths; therefore, generally speaking, upholding the five precepts can at least preserve the human body in future lives. Conversely, those who violate the five precepts violate their humanity, and their mental nature no longer belongs to the human realm. Thus, in the future, they cannot be born as humans and will fall into the three lowly paths, even if they believe in Buddhism. The sutras also state that “for every precept that you receive, five wholesome Dharma-protecting deities will come to protect you.” Thus, people who fully receive all five precepts will be protected by 25 Dharma-protecting deities; they will have no nightmares at night and will not be harmed by plagues, epidemics, disasters, thieves, water, or fire.

If people who have already received the five precepts turn their mental nature toward the wholesome and can further practice the ten wholesome actions without creating evil karma, they can be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after their death because their mental nature resonates with it. As for the story’s account of the principles of hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma and being able to attain the first fruition of stream-entry and even the Buddha-Bodhi path.

Finally, to summarize, what the story about the father and his daughter wants to tell us is the importance of taking the Triple Refuge and receiving and upholding the five precepts, especially for someone who wishes to practice the path. Therefore, take the Triple Refuge and receive and uphold the five precepts at a place that upholds the correct Dharma is of vital importance for all wise Buddhists. (3/3).  

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To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven (Part1/3)

 

To Observe the Five Precepts and Thus Attain Rebirth in Heaven
(A Story Recorded in Volume 5 of The Storehouse of Sundry Valuables; 雜寶藏經 卷5)

This story says that there was an elder in Śrāvastī named Fushe who had two daughters. One of them renounced her home to become a monastic and was very diligent and hardworking in her cultivation, thereby attaining the arhat fruition. The other daughter held false views, did not believe in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and even slandered them. Fushe told his daughter who did not believe in the Triple Gem, “If you take refuge in the Buddha, I will give you one thousand gold coins; furthermore, if you can take refuge in the Dharma and the Sangha and also receive and uphold the five precepts, I will give you an additional eight thousand gold coins.” This daughter, who originally did not believe in the Triple Gem, thus embraced and took refuge in them and no longer slandered them. She also received and upheld the five precepts. Not long after, her life ended, and she was reborn in the heaven of the desire realm. Remembering that it was because she had taken refuge in the Triple Gem and received the precepts while in the human world that she could be reborn in heaven to enjoy such bliss today, she went to the place where the Buddha stayed to pay her respects. The Buddha taught her the Dharma, and she immediately attained the first fruition of stream-entry.

A monk then asked the Buddha, “By what kind of karmic actions was this heavenly maiden able to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after death?” The Buddha told the monk, “This heavenly maiden was originally born in the human world, and although it was out of greed for her father’s money that she took refuge in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, she ceased slandering the Triple Gem and simultaneously received and upheld the five precepts. Due to such causes and conditions, she has now been reborn in the heaven of the desire realm. Also, because she remembered the causes and conditions for her rebirth in heaven, she came to me, Śākyamuni Buddha, and after hearing my teaching, she attained the first stage of fruition of the path to liberation.”

    There are some lessons that can be derived from this story and shared with everyone. First, the main character of this story is the second daughter, who had a father who believed in and accepted the Buddha Dharma and possessed wisdom. This daughter, who originally held false views and did not believe in the Triple Gem, later took refuge in the Triple Gem and received and upheld the five precepts under the lure of her father’s hefty reward, thereby greatly transforming her destiny. If she had not taken the Triple Refuge and received and upheld the five precepts at that time, her grave offense of slandering the Triple Gem would have been enough to make her fall into the three lowly paths and suffer in the future. However, her father knew that she was greedy for money and thus lured her with a hefty reward to make her take the Triple Refuge and receive and uphold the five precepts. This changed her views and mental disposition, which allowed her not only to be reborn in the heaven of the desire realm after her life ended but also to have the subsequent causal connection to personally hear the Buddha teach the Dharma and attain the first fruition of stream-entry. (To be con't....)

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